When I think of a Mug Rug I get visions of a warm fire, a good book, a cup of hot chocolates (with marshmallows of course) and a couple of Mum’s homemade chocolate chip cookies. But Mug Rugs are not just for the Fall and Winter months.
Mug rugs are not just for hot drinks. They can be used as a mini table runner like I have here in my bathroom with my lemon soaps.
Summer is all about enjoying the outdoors as much as possible (at least for the 2 months we have summer in Alberta lol!) Make the most of patio picnics, BBQ dinners and more with a reuseable bowl cover!
These bowl covers are so handy for all types of meal prep and entertaining, and they are a far cry from the hotel shower caps my Nana used to use!
They can be made with all types of fabric, from tulle (to cover dry food) to cotton to PUL (polyurethane laminate) for a messy salad. So round up some supplies from your stash, and whip up some fun new covers for your summer entertaining.
First, place your favorite serving bowl upside down on your fabric and trace around the edge.
Add anywhere from 1-3″ to that circle to provide an overhang and to make it fit a couple of different sizes of bowls or platters.
Next, measure the diameter of your largest circle and multiply by 2.5 plus 1″ to get a measurement for the elastic.
Once you have your elastic cut, overlap the ends by about 1/2″ and sew them together.
Quarter your circle of fabric and elastic, then match them together.
To attach the elastic to the fabric, stretch the elastic between the quarter points on the right side and sew, either with a long straight stitch or with a zigzag.
Once your elastic is sewn all the way around, flip it over to the backside and topstitch with a triple zigzag or other stretch stitch.
Voila, your reusable bowl cover is ready for the patio!
Are you in search of all things DIY and Eco-Friendly? Ask your Janome Canada Dealer about the online events we are offering. One of these classes is called Eco friendly gifts with Janome. But there are more than a dozen other short 2 hour online classes available through your local Janome Dealer. You won’t need to leave your home to attend these events! You will be able to log in from your home computer or mobile device…….stay safe at home but still take advantage of Janome Dealer events like we have been doing for many years before the Pandemic. Ask your local Janome Dealer today or drop us a note in the comment box below.
Until next time,
JanomeGirl
Janome Canada is a distributor of Madeira thread. In this blog, we tested the polyneon, the metallic and the multi-colour threads. We used the same design (free design called Funky shoes from KreativKiwi) and stitched the design in three different sizes. Here are the results:
Polyneon: This thread is perfectly suited to materials subject to difficult conditions of use and which are often washed. The colours retain their luminous intensity and extraordinary radiance, even after many washes because the thread composition is 100% polyester. The Madeira Smart box x offered by Janome Canada contains eighteen spools of a thousand meters on each spool
If we consider that 1,000 meters – 200,000 embroidery points … Oh, that’s a lot of thread!
Bonus: With the purchase of the polyneon Smart box of thread, there is a CD of eighty-two patterns to embroider in all the most popular formats including the JEF for Janome. You also get a package of five needles for in the 11/75 size.
Another gift box of polyneon thread we offer is the box with 8 spools of 200m on each spool – lovely vibrant colours for your projects:
And there is more! We have polyneon threads in Treasure chests (the mini and full size chests are available) . Ask your favourite Janome Canada dealer today how you can purchase these items! 
Multi-colour: this multi-coloured thread is a 100% polyester and is made using a special and very elaborate technique. The fascinating play of colors on every inch of thread gives the decorative stitching and embroidery an air of magic and makes them unique pieces – absolutely incomparable.
Metallic: This classic thread is suitable for all sewing/embroidering machines. It contains a certain percentage of real silver, which gives the embroidery a shiny and precious look.
Visit your local authorized Dealer Janome to get these madeira yarn boxes and to see his embroidered samples with each of these threads!
Originally posted by Celine Ross on Vie Janome on August 1st, 2020. Edited by Anne Stitcher and Liz Thompson.
The stars do not always align. The square peg does not fit the round hole. Sometimes the perfect webbing or strapping you’ve selected for a shoulder bag or similar project is simply too darn wide for the D-ring or Swivel Hook you really want/need to use. Try this quick Sew4Home trick to bring your wide webbing down to size.
By folding the too-wide strap into a pretty point then wrapping that fold with a thin ribbon or webbing, you get a double benefit: 1) your webbing has been reduced and will now work with the ring or hook you want/need to use, and 2) you’ve added a great accent to an otherwise plain strap.
This clever trick works only on straps that are cut to length. It won’t work for an adjustable strap. For more about making an adjustable strap, check out S4H’s full step- by-step tutorial.
NOTE: The steps below are shown using polyester webbing, on which cut ends can simply be lightly melted to finish. If you are using a cotton webbing, the steps would be the same; you’d simply need to finish the cut ends with a zig zag or similar machine finishing stitch. In addition, you might want to add a bit of seam sealant. And, if using a ribbon for your wraparound accent, you would need to create a tiny hem at each end prior to stitching in place. The photos above show you samples using both a poly-on- poly option as well as a ribbon-on-cotton option.
Cut and prepare the ends of the polyester webbing.
In addition to your main webbing, which should be cut to the finished length required for your project, you also need a short length of accent webbing in a width that will fit your hardware. In our sample, our main webbing is 11⁄2” wide (3.8cm) and our accent webbing is 1⁄2” (1.27cm) to fit a 1⁄2” (1.27cm) Swivel Hook.
The exact length of the accent webbing is really up to your “eye.” We used a
7” (17.7cm) length, which allowed a 31⁄2” (8.8cm) accent stripe on either side. In addition, we clipped the corners of each end prior to melting them to create a rounded finish. This is optional.
With a lighter or match, carefully pass each raw end of the main webbing and the accent webbing through the flame. You don’t need any pyrotechnics; just lightly melt the ends to keep them securely finished.
Create the narrow point
On the main webbing, fold down the corners of one end so they meet in the middle, creating a point. Pin or clip in place.
With the pin or clip still in place, thread a hand sewing needle with thread to best match the webbing. Whip stitch the two folded ends together down the center where they come together.
Once you’ve taken a couple stitches you can unpin/unclip and finish the securing hand stitches all the way up to the point of the fold.
Wrap the accent webbing around the end
Find the length of accent webbing. Start by placing it along one side. As you wrap the accent webbing around the end, you will be covering the spot where the folded corners meet in the middle. Pin in place.
Thread the free end of the accent webbing through your D-Ring or Swivel Hook.
Then wrap the webbing over the point and down the opposite side of the webbing. Make sure the webbing extends the same length on both sides and is sitting in the exact middle of the webbing on both sides. Adjust as needed so the hardware is as close to the point of the webbing as possible. You need just enough room to run a small horizontal line of stitching. Pin or clip in place.
Stitch in place
Thread your machine with thread to best match the accent webbing in the top and bobbin or use a transparent thread, which was our choice.
Make sure you have a new, sharp needle. An 80/12 denim needle is a good choice. Slightly lengthen the stitch.
Attach a Zipper foot to allow you to stitch right along the edge of the accent webbing.
You will stitch along both sides of the accent webbing through all the layers. Go slowly and carefully to insure you are catching both sides of the accent webbing in this one pass. First stitch up one side.
Then pivot in order to stitch across the top, running this seam as close as possible to the folded point of the webbing.
Pivot again and stitch down the opposite side. The excellent feeding systems on Janome machines make this precise stitching easy.
Pivot once more and stitch across the bottom.
Repeat on the opposite end of the strap.
The folded side of the main webbing is considered to be the “back” of the strap, but the narrowed webbing really looks great from both sides.
By: Liz Johnson, Senior Editor, Sew4Home – a Janome Exclusive Studio
We have an Instagram Live EVERYDAY for you this week…. Maybe you’d like to set alarms on your phone so you don’t forget to watch!
Monday 3 August : No Instagram Live today. Janomeman is off for the long weekend.
Tuesday 4 August : Janome Canada Educator, Amanda, will explore the many features of Janome’s Memory Craft 550E. These features will not only take your embroidery projects to the next level but will have you customizing and streamlining your process like a pro! Some of these features are also found on other Janome embroidery machine models so do tune in even if you don’t have the MC500E or MC550E! @janomecanada
Wednesday 5 August : The Awesome Accessory countdown continues. Today is the Acufeed Flex stitch in the ditch foot, the straight stitch foot and a review of Janome’s Awesome Acufeed system. @janomeHQ
Thursday 6 August : Erin will talk today about the ongoing popular topic of RULER QUILTING. @JanomeCanada
Friday 7 August: No Instagram Live today.
If you are not sure about how to tune in to an Instagram Live, please check out this link. (scroll down for step by step instructions). It is easier than you think!
Pic courtesy of JaMonkey.com
Don’t you just love an ice cream on a hot day? We sure do!
And the next best thing – and completely calorie free – is Madeira thread in lovely summery, “ice cream” colours!
To encourage you to keep your cool while sewing during the heat, we have a little summer Janome Life Giveaway: 4 spools of Madeira polyneon Thread in deliciously cool summery colours…..each one 400m of 40wt polyester embroidery thread. Just the perfect addition to your collection of threads for embroidery AND to embroider designs from one of two Artistic Embroidery Collection design CD’s: Forest Friends OR Floral Fun by Stitchique.
Fancy these? We have 2 sets of 4 thread spools + 1 Multi format Design CD to give away – 1 for each of 2 lucky winners:
To be eligible for the draw, please drop us a short note in the comment box below and be very sure to include the following information: ( 1) What are you sewing and/or embroidering during the heat of summer? (2) Please list the Janome machines(s) you are using. (3) Which province or territory of Canada or state in the US do you live in?
DEADLINE for entering this summer thread and Design CD draw is Friday 14 August so don’t delay – list the info requested above right now before you forget and tune in for the announcement of the 2 lucky winners after the 14th August.
Good luck and stay cool, calm and sewing!!
Here is good information from Janome Canada Educator, Amanda, about using the Janome Beading foot and machine embroidery on a linen tea towel. I think it is a good Saturday Sewing project idea. Ed
A beading foot is amazing for adding pizazz to projects. I’m all about adding bling to things. I’m that person that loves glitter and while that isn’t everyone’s thing but it’s mine. I’m primarily a quilter so I don’t get a lot of opportunities to use a beading foot but then I got playing with one and I think it is going to add a whole new element to my quilting.
If you have never seen a beading foot you may be wondering exactly how it works. The foot is clear so you can see what is going on easily. There is a channel running under the foot which lets your bead strip run under the foot without getting “squished” and it lines the string of beads or cord up perfectly for the needle to zigzag them down. Janome has 3 different couching feet: Narrow groove, Wide groove and free motion. On this post I’m focusing on the narrow groove foot. These feet are compatible with most Janome sewing machines. Check them out in the free Accessory Guide on our website (which you may download and print if you wish – it is a PDF) or ask your favourite Janome Dealer. Our Presser foot Workbook (+ supplements) also offers great information on using these feet.
The Beading foot is not just for beading – This foot can also be used for couching. What is couching you ask? Couching is where you sew a thicker yarn, thread, cord, string down onto the fabric with a zigzag. So much texture! The beading foot is perfect for this because the channel in the foot keeps your yarn all lined up and ready to be stitched down.
These feet could not be easier to use on my Janome M7 continental. In the Applications menu (the little t-shirt icon) I selected the Foot tab and there is a Beading category right there. Then I simply select either narrow or wide groove foot and I’m ready to go. If your Janome machine doesn’t have the Sewing Applications menu, use a zigzag stitch and use turn the fly wheel towards you to make sure your zigzag is wide enough to clear your beads or cord.
To start I feed my string/cord/thread under the foot and make sure it is the groove. You want the tail at the back and your spool of cord/beading at the front of the machine. Then you start stitching. You can direct the fabric where you want and not worry about the thread too much. A gentle wave is super easy and by utilizing the amazing pivot function you can even make corners. It’s amazing!!!
The applications for this foot are endless. I can see using it to add some fun quilting detail to my quilts. Also to add visual interest to various home decor projects. Since the string or cord is securely stitch down, this also could be great for tactile projects for kids!
Here I’ve used it to add a fun detail to a tea towel that I had embroidered with one of our Sew4Home embroideries that are available exclusively through your favourite Janome Canada dealer (See this recent blog post here on Janome life about these designs). The embroidery was done on the Janome MC550E although this could also be done on other Janome embroidery machines. I made this tea towel from scratch but if you don’t have time for that, this would be awesome for customizing store bought tea towels. They would make a great housewarming or hostess gift.
Do you have any fun ways to use a beading foot? Drop us a comment below!
Happy Stitching!
Swim suit cover-ups might be a little more popular than sewing machine cover-ups for this time of the year, but I recently moved some things around on the main floor where I do most of my sewing (that’s what happens when you work from home for three months and have a chance to really absorb your surroundings!) and thought a little cover for my Janome Skyline S9 would be the perfect little finish to it’s new resting spot.
I do have a dedicated sewing room on the second floor but life happens on the main floor and if I want to sneak in a bit of sewing here and there – I need to be able to watch all the action.
There are many patterns out there for sewing machine covers. My Janome Skyline S9 has a spool stand on it, making the top a bit unique for most standard covers. So I just decided to wing it! I measured the width of my machine along with the height on both sides, including an allowance for the cover to go over the top, and decided on a cover that was 18 inches x 44 inches.
This is a fabulous scrap buster project! Which is great as I’m also trying to clean up my sewing room a bit right now.
Using the quilt-as-you-go method, I started with my quilt sandwich – batting and backing fabric pinned together.
Once you have that in place, you can start piecing together your top.
I generally used strips of fabric that were cut to 2 inches wide. Although the blue fabric with the birds was cut at 3-inch widths because I didn’t want to chop off the birds!
The strips need to be long enough for the sections you are working on – which varies from end to end. And if you don’t have a piece long though, you can stitch two pieces together to create longer strips.
Starting in one corner, I placed my strips right-sides together, diagonally, and secured with a 1/4 inch straight stitch.
Press your top piece open, right side up, and continue down your rows placing the next strip on the second strip of fabric, right sides together again, and secure with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Press the fabric you just stitched, open, right side up, and repeat the process.
You can start on either side of your project and manage your quilt sandwich however it best works to fit through the arm of your machine. I started working right first from the right to the left but once I got half way through, I turned my fabric around and worked left to right – although large workspace on the Janome S9 means it’s pretty easy to work with a larger amount of fabric, regardless.
Once I completed the top, I then squared up my fabric back to the original dimensions of 18 x 44.
I find folding it in half makes it easier to ensure both sides have true 90 degree corners (and match).
Loving these blues and teal-y greens with the pop of red.
The quilt-as-you-go method means you don’t have to go back and stitch in the ditch to finish off your top. But I still wanted to add a bit of texture to my sewing machine cover-up.
With 300 built-in stitches on this machine, I had a lot of options to choose from!
I love the simplicity of a straight stitch. When I use this for quilting, I like to lengthen the stitch length to give it more impact. I increased the stitch length to 3.5 for my quilting stitches, as seen on the bottom of the Janome Skyline S9 panel in the adjust menu.
This makes my stitches stand out a little more and adds to the texture – one of my favourite parts of quilting!
And I also added a bunch of decorative quilting stitches, including this wavy, curvy, whirly stitch.
Finally it was time to add my cover-up ties. I made these by cutting a 2 inch strip of fabric, folding it in half lengthwise, opening it up, and folding each side to the middle, pressing and then top stitching. You don’t necessarily need to top stitch each side but I loved the soft teal/green on this white fabric.
The ties were secured along with the binding.
I used the Acufeed Flex Dual Feed Foot for this project. The fabric and batting ended up a bit bulky (I was using some scrap wool batting I had on hand and it’s a bit fluffy). This foot just helps ensure everything – top fabric, middle and bottom, all move together.
Not only is a sewing machine cover something that you can change with the seasons or use to just freshen up a room, it is also a marvellous little dust cover for your treasured sewing machine.
They can also be very practical pieces with the addition of a few pockets for added organization.
I just love how bright and cheery this one makes me feel!
Have you sewn a cover for your sewing machine?
What summer sewing projects are you working on right now?
Summer is here and the time for sunglasses is now! A few years ago I discovered the joy of prescription sunglasses (30 years of wearing glasses and unable to wear contacts meant I couldn’t just get ANY pair of sunglasses) and I knew I needed to find a great, stylish glasses case to carry them around.
Last summer I found the perfect one – The Spencer Ogg Groovy Glasses Case – and best part, it’s FREE! I made a few adjustments to the original pattern, but definitely not many! The biggest one is I increased the size as I love me some oversized glasses and the original just didn’t comfortably fit my rather large glasses. The second was I used a snap instead of a magnetic snap, it was just a personal preference, and you could use whatever you have on hand.
So now is time to grab your pattern (print at actual size for original or 120% for a slightly larger case), pick out your prints, grab your interfacing, and get ready to sew! This glasses case sews up in about 30 minutes start to finish and makes a perfect last minute gift!
I pulled my fabric, cut and added interfacing to all the pieces. I like to add a few extra squares of SF101 (medium weight woven fusible interfacing) to where I add my snap, it just gives it a little bit of extra reinforcement. Once both pieces are cut and interfaced, I add the snap, then place them right sides together and sew all around leaving a turning hole along the long straight edge.
Once you have your two pieces sewn together, trim the excess fabric, square your two corners and turn right side out. I like to use a chopstick to get the edges nice and crisp. Press your case being careful to avoid pressing over the male snap piece. Fold your turning edge in and press well. Sew across the long, straight edge closing up your turning hole.
Fold up the long straight edge a few inches, this will create the pocket for your glasses. I like to put my glasses in and test it to make sure it will fit. You can adjust the depth by making the pouch shorter or longer. Once you are happy with the size, clip your edges and starting at the bottom sew up and around the curved edge then back around the other side. This will close up your pocket. The Janome HD9 sews through all the layers like butter. You can do this project with leather, cork, or vinyl exterior and the Janome HD9 glides right through no problem.
Once that is done, all that is left is to install the female part of your snap. Fold your top curved edge down and mark where you want it to go. You can put your glasses in it again to check (it’s what I do!). Once that is done, you can sit back and admire your pretty new sunglasses case – and maybe make a few more for friends!
The Janome HD9 is a powerhouse machine and is fantastic for going through multiple layers with ease, but it just as easily goes through a few layers with perfect, straight stitches, making this machine incredibley versatile and handy for bag makers, quilters, and anyone who is looking for a perfect straight stitch!
The Janome HD9 is a powerhouse machine and is fantastic for going through multiple layers with ease, but it just as easily goes through a few layers with perfect, straight stitches, making this machine incredibley versatile and handy for bag makers, quilters, and anyone who is looking for a perfect straight stitch!
We have an Instagram Live EVERYDAY for you this week…. Maybe you’d like to set alarms on your phone so you don’t forget to watch!
Monday 27 July : #5 in the Janome Awesome Accessory Countdown is the Serger Gathering Foot and Gathering Attachment to quickly create even gathers, AND stitch them to another layer of fabric all at the same time on your serger!
https://www.instagram.com/janomehq/
Tuesday 28th July: Melissa Marginet, Janome Canada artisan from Manitoba, will be doing our Instagram Live today on the topic of Stitch Composer ….that very clever software (available/included with many of our sewing machines) which allows us to create our very own new machine stitches. Melissa will be using the Janome MC9450 but Stitch Composer comes with a number of our other Janome machines so do stay tuned! @janomecanada
Wednesday 29th July: #6 in the Janome Awesome Accessory Countdown is the Ruffler attachment! You’ve got to see this truly AWESOME accessory in action! Quickly stitch perfectly even gathers and ruffles using this very cool tool! @janomeHQ
Thursday 30th July : Join Liz as she shows how you can embellish many of your sewing projects using the elongation function in satin stitch on your Janome sewing machine. Learn how to do this and get inspired to embellish your projects. @JanomeCanada
Friday 31st July: No Instagram Live today
If you are not sure about how to tune in to an Instagram Live, please check out this link. (scroll down for step by step instructions). It is easier than you think!
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